mt. baker
After spending a few days in Oso, we wanted to head north so we could get a look at Mt. Baker. I’ve seen it numerous times in the distance while on the Olympic Peninsula but never had taken the time to get up close and personal.
Here are a couple of interesting facts about this mountain. Mt. Baker has the heaviest glacier cover of the Cascade Range volcanoes; the volume of snow and ice on Mount Baker is greater than that of all the other Cascades volcanoes (except Rainier) combined. Mt. Baker is the third-highest mountain in Washington and the fifth-highest in the Cascade Range.
Indigenous peoples have known the mountain for thousands of years, but the first written record of the mountain is from Spanish explorer Gonzalo Lopez de Haro, who mapped it in 1790 as Gran Montaña del Carmelo, “Great Mount Carmel“. The explorer George Vancouver renamed the mountain after 3rd Lieutenant Joseph Baker of HMS Discovery, who saw it on April 30, 1792.
Support
Our mission is a labor of love, but it does come with overhead. If you’d like to support our efforts we’d certainly appreciate it. Currently, we’re actively participating in the following field research:
- COASST Beached Bird Surveys
- Wild and Scenic River Project
Thank you.
As it was the middle of the week when we decide to head up we had the mountain pretty much to ourselves which suited us just fine. We took our friend, and fellow Essex Explorer Brads, advise and headed to Artist Point which is located at the end of Mount Baker Highway. We were not disappointed. Just the drive is worth the effort, but the views from up top are stunning. Both Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan are visible and seem to be within arms reach.
While on the way back from the top, we took advantage of the weather to stop along the bank of the North Fork Nooksack River and have a picnic lunch. Turned out to be a great day in the North Cascades.
“
Member of the following
Latest Instagram
This set of pillars made from columnar basalt at the terminus of Frenchman Coulee is popular among rock climbers. Read more about this in the link in bio.
We started our hike to the Frenchman Coulee Waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge early in the morning to beat the heat. However, when we reached the bottom of the waterfall, it was already scorching hot. Follow the link in the bio to read more.
Stormy weather over Fort Worden.
Point Wilson Lighthouse at night. This is a hand held shot with the new iPhone. Hard to believe where tech has taken us.
Large waves from the evening storm crashed against the rocks at the base of Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.
Spending the weekend on the Washington coast near the mouth of the Columbia River. Last night it poured in camp, but this morning the sun broke throught for a bit. Make everything seem a bit warmer.
A road less traveled through the Northern Cascades during the fall season.
Sunset over a lonely section of coastline on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Enjoying the quiet and solitude of an evening camp on Whidbey Island.
A view of Baker River just south of Baker Dam. We arrived midweek and had the place to ourselves despite enduring some showers.
Theresa clings to her cap atop Goats Rock on the SW side of Deception Pass, admiring the view of Puget Sound after a steep climb.
This group of Common Rustgill were at our campsite on the Sagkit River. This is a great time to go out and brush up on your fungi identification skills.
Nature's masterpiece painted across the canvas of the sky, as fiery hues intertwine with the tranquil waters of Deception Pass. Last night's sunset at North Beach left me in awe of the world's endless wonders.
That time of the year to pull out the mycology reference books. Spending a week exploring the forests of the North Cascades. #MycologyMagic #ForestAdventures
Deception Pass State Park is our starting point for a 7 day camping trip through the North Cascades.
A view from last summers trip to Frenchman’s Coulee along the Columbia River Gorge. Missing the warm dry temperatures.
Bellingham Basecamp
twitter feed
Follow the team’s latest news and social feeds here. You’ll also find links to articles on the latest developments regarding citizen-science and the conservation of our oceans.
We also use this feed for updates from the field as we pursue our own science and the occasional short video clip.
And please, feel free to join in the conversation. We’d love to hear what you’re up to as well.
Speaking of camp, we had decided to move from the Oso area up to Bellingham just to shorten our trips. However, we were pleasantly surprised at just how much the Bellingham area had in the way of outdoor activities as well.
The one aspect that we really appreciate was the sheer number of bike trails available, and we took advantage of them with our RAD Power Bikes. Of all those trails the most interesting was the Interurban Trail which heads out of Bellingham through a number of green belts and eventually ends at Larrabee State Park. Well worth the ride if you are ever in the area.
